Earlier this week, everyday people knew about the devastating earthquake in China before the media even broke the news, thanks to Twitter.
Several people in China used their cell phones to post Twitter updates as the earthquake was happening, spreading word of the disaster instantaneously.
Robert Scoble, a Twitterer and world-famous tech blogger, reported the earthquake to his followers “before the USGS website had a report up and about an hour before CNN or any major press started talking about it” according to his personal blog.
Twitter was used as a way for survivors to let friends and family around the world know that they were safe. After the quake, Twitter was used as a way to show support for those affected, with updates like “Tomorrow evening at 2200, all university student dormitories will have lights off for three minutes as a mark of respect for people who died. Hope it gets support and if you agree with me, spread it around,” according to bbc news.
This event has brought a lot of mainstream attention to Twitter, fueling discussions that it might be the fastest way to cover breaking news.
And here are 101 other everyday uses for the service.
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